Spacing-instrument



(No Model.)

0. H. WOODWORTH. SPAGING INSTRUMENT.

N0. 416,205i Patented Dec. 8, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

()RSON H. \VOODWORTH, OF COLUMBIA CITY, INDIANA.

SPACING-INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 416,205, dated December 8, 1889.

Application filed April 2, 1888.

Serial No. 269,396. (No model.)

T'oall whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ORSON H. \VOODWORTH, a" citizen of the United States, residing at C- lumbia City, in the county of Whitley and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Measuring-Instru ments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices for quickly and accurately dividing given spaces or distances into a desired number of equal parts; and the objects of my invention are to pro-. vide a measuring-instrument for quickly making accurate divisions of space, and to adapt such instrument to the convenient use of draftsmen, carpenters, cabinet-makers, Ina

chinists, and other persons desiring to easily and quickly make accurate divisions of space. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows a full general view of my invention in perspective. Fig. 2 shows a transverse vertical sectional view of one of in perspective of the joint-lock attached to the instrument for holdin git in position when set for use, and Fig. 5 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the joint-lock.

Similar letters and figures refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

My invention consists of the cross-bars a to 72 the rivets, as shown, the marking-needles 1 2 3 4 5 6, mounted on and across the intersections and junctions of the bars a a b c c d e f g h 1' j k Z m a 01 and the joint-locks, as shown in Figs. land 5. The instrument thus shown is adapted to dividing a given space into from two to five equal parts; but it may be made and operated with from three to fifty or more needles and a corresponding number of bars, as may be desired. The bars are all of equal length, except four at each end of the instrument, the shorter ones being a a b e Z m a m The bars are laid across each other and riveted together loosely, the points of connection of the bars being exactly equidistant from each other on each bar throughout the whole instrument.

At each central intersection of two bars, as at B, the bars are united by a rivet 0', Fig. 2, which has its head t firmly fixed by riveting, soldering, or otherwise toabout the middle of a needle, as 6, Fig. 2, thereby preventing the needle from moving lengthwise in either direction, and the rivet r holding the bars, as l and m, together, but not tightly enough to prevent the said bars from turning on said rivet as their pivotal axes. One end of each needle is sharpened round, and the other is flattened and provided with a notch or fork, as at y, Fig. 3, to serve as a guidefora pencil or other marking-point in marking the divisions of space indicated by the instrument.

At the junctions or joints A of the outer ends of the two bars, as j and 07?, Fig. 2, the needles pass freely and loosely through the heads of rivets 0' 1*, which are shaped as loops or sleeves t 2?, to move freely and smoothly back and forth lengthwise of and on the needles as the instrument is closed or extended. The portions :20 x mof the heads of rivets r and r are left to serve asseparatingshoulders between the needles and bars.

At each end of the instrument, as at TV and W are attached the joint-locks H and H at the junctions of bars at and n and a and a respectively. Each joint-lock consists of sides or jaws K and K jointed together, as at N, and with a spring M inserted between the outer ends of the jaws, as at o and 1 and pressing those parts forcibly outward and causing the opposite ends of the jaws to forciloly press together on the intersecting ends of the bars a and n Figs. 4 and 5, and thereby lock the joint formed by such intersection and hold the instrument set to any measurement desired. The rod R extends loosely through the inner ends of jaws K and K and through bars n and n at their intersection, as shown, and is provided with a flat cap or headP and P on each end of said rod, which is somewhat longer than the combined thickness of the two bars and the two jaws through which it extends, and when the bars are locked by the pressure of spring M the space between the heads P and P is not entirely filled by the thickness of the two jaws and the two bars.

The practical operation of my invention is as follows: Assuming that the joint-locks are attached and holding the bars and needles of the instrument in the'relative positions indicated in the drawings, Fig. 1, the operator takes hold of and loosens or unlocks both j oint-locks by pressingwith his fingers, or otherwise, on both sides of the jaws at o and o until spring M is depressed and the inner ends of the jaws opened until their further opening is stopped by the heads P and P and the joints or intersections of the bars are thus unlocked, and by thus holding the locks open and pressing inward on both ends of the instrument the points NV and W are carried inward to the points J and H the bars meanwhile all turning on their several rivet pivotal axes or joints and the heads of rivets r 1' moving freely outward from near the middle of and along each needle, as from S to S The instrument is thereby closed until the bars and needles assume the positions indicated by the broken or dotted lines in the drawings, Fig. 1. Thus the instrument may be extended or closed at will and the needles always remain parallel with each other.

It is apparent that tho nearer the needles are pressed together the farther toward their outer ends the rivet-heads or loops t t are carried. It is also apparent that an instrument with six needles will readily divide any space within its range into two, three, four, or five equal parts, and that with an instrument carrying thirty needles far more varied and numerous divisions can readily be made.

There are two intersections of bars between every two needleswhere ordinary rivets are used, as at 0 and 0 thus imparting much I stiffn ess and strength to the instrument. Each f ull-len gth bar has five rivets passing through it, the one in the center of each bar lengthwise having its head i fastened to about the middle of a needle, as in Fig. 2, and no matter how fully the instrument may be closed or extended these rivets 6 remain always in line with each other and in line with and between the joint-locks attached to the instrument, as herein set forth.

WVhat I claim as my invention. and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States,

1. The herein-described measuringdnstrument, consisting of the cross-bars, as shown, loosely riveted to each other at their junctions and intersections, the marking-needles carried over or across said junctions and intersections, the rivets 1', with their heads firmly fixed to the needles, the rivets T with their heads forming loops or sleeves 15 to move freely to and fro on the needles as the instrument is being closed or extended, the

notch or fork y, formed in one end of each needle to serve as a guide for marking thedivisions of space indicated by the instrument, and the joint-locks H and H attached to said instrument, all combined and arranged to operate substantially as shown and described, and for the purposes set forth.

2. The joint-locks H and H composed of the jaws or sides K and K jointed together, as at N, and provided with spring M, and connected with the main body of the instrument by the rod R and its heads P and P in combination with the bars n and n substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination of the bars 72 and n jaws K and K spring M, rod k, headsP and P and joint N ,substantially as set forth and illustrated.

ORSON H. \VOODXV ORTH. 

